


Roundabout and Over Again

by MathClassWarfare



Series: We're Older Than We Realize [4]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Canon Compliant, Fluff and Angst, Future Character Death, M/M, POV Noctis Lucis Caelum, Prompto Argentum's Birthday, Spoilers, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:13:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 890
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27204337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MathClassWarfare/pseuds/MathClassWarfare
Summary: Noctis wishes Prompto a happy birthday, one last time.
Relationships: Prompto Argentum/Noctis Lucis Caelum
Series: We're Older Than We Realize [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1662964
Comments: 16
Kudos: 44
Collections: FFXV Book Club Monthly Sprint Prompts





	Roundabout and Over Again

Everything goes fuzzy for a moment. Noctis blinks once, twice, three times—then he catches a glimpse of Umbra’s tail disappearing around a corner.

He’s gone back more than ten years—back to his old apartment and into the middle of a conversation with his best friend. Prompto looks exactly as brilliant and beautiful as Noctis remembers. He’s wearing that bright yellow muscle shirt with the ridiculous cartoon chocobo that he usually saved for special occasions.

“Seriously, dude,” Prompto says, lacing up his sneakers, “we can go wherever. As long as I get to hang out with my buddy, I don’t care where we eat.”

It’s so strange. Noctis can feel the air leave his lungs as he lets out an exaggerated sigh. He can feel his heart beating. But somebody else—his younger self—is in control when he says, “First of all, that’s really sad—”

 _“Hey!”_ Prompto swings at Noctis, and his young body hops back to dodge the blow. 

Laughing, Noctis says, “And second, it’s _your_ birthday. I’m totally fine going to that Galahdan place.”

“But what if they hate you? What if they have a picture of you hanging up in the kitchen, with instructions to spit in your food?”

Oh yeah. He must have just mentioned that his dad fired the chef, back when Noctis was a kid and complained about the palace menu. He feels pretty bad about that now, but his younger, less-considerate self just shakes his head and says, “Nah, he’s probably thanking me. He has his own restaurant now.”

 _“Okay,”_ Prompto says, angling for the door. “Keep telling yourself that, I guess.”

“Oh, hold up. Let me grab something.” Noctis quickly crosses the room to fetch a card from the kitchen counter.

“ _Noct!_ You promised not to get me anything!”

 _“No,”_ Noctis corrects, walking back. “I said I wouldn’t get you another ‘expensive gift,’ and this didn’t cost anything.” He presents the envelope with a triumphant smirk.

Prompto’s unconvincing frown falls apart as soon as he takes the card. When he opens it up, he tilts his head like an adorable bird. “You got me a flash drive?”

“Playlist. The songs are there—in the card.” Noctis points unnecessarily.

Prompto lets out a happy little gasp that makes Noctis’s heart leap— both then and now. “OMG! I love this song!” 

"I know." Noctis crosses his arms. He did know how to make a good fucking playlist.

“Nice, this one is good too—Oh! I haven’t even heard of this band.”

“They rock. I think you’ll like ‘em.”

“Noct!” Prompto looks up, beaming. “Thank you so much!”

“It was a lazy present,” Noctis says with a shrug. “But I’m glad you like it.” 

What a phenomenal understatement. When Prompto looks at him like this, it feels like the sun is shining on him alone. 

“I can’t wait to listen later and try to figure out all the hidden meanings,” Prompto teases. 

Noctis very badly wants to laugh at this, and his 20-year old self lets him, albeit nervously. Pulling on his shoes, he says, “They’re just songs.” _That made me think of you,_ he doesn’t add. He was so scared, back then. He was so stupid.

As Prompto looks at him, with that wonderful, crooked smile on his face, Noctis concentrates all of his will on trying to make his younger self step forward and kiss him. Noctis knows that he wanted to, back then, but it’s not happening. Somehow, the logic of this dream or time travel or whatever it is won’t let him correct his past mistakes. He can only relive them, apparently.

So he follows Prompto out of his apartment and into the elevator, where Umbra is waiting to take him back to the present.

When he awakens in the subway locker room, his head is resting on Prompto’s shoulder. An epaulet is digging into his face.

“ _Hmm_ , I fell asleep,” he mutters, rubbing a fist over his eyes.

Prompto squeezes Noctis with an arm that’s already wrapped around him. “You fell asleep,” he echoes, kissing him on the forehead.

“Sorry, guys.” Noctis yawns.

“Please don’t apologize,” Ignis says from the other bench. “I’d imagine your body isn’t used to this much sustained activity.”

“Yeah,” Gladio agrees. “After a ten-years-long nap, I think it’d be pretty hard to stay awake.” 

Noctis huffs, smiling softly at his hands. It wasn’t quite a nap, but they do have a point. 

“I’m certainly not complaining about taking breaks,” Prompto says, slumping into him. 

“Finally! We’ve found something you won’t complain about!” Gladio laughs, and Noctis joins him.

Prompto makes a face and shoves Noctis away, but he catches Prompto’s hand, weaving their fingers together, and leans in to kiss him. It’s just as soft and sweet as he always used to dream it would be.

“Happy birthday,” Noctis whispers as they part.

Prompto quirks his head, and it’s no less birdlike with the new goatee. “It’s not . . . my birthday?”

“I know.” He brushes his lips across Prompto’s knuckles. “I’m just telling you early, because—”

When Prompto’s breath hitches, it jabs Noctis right in his guilty heart. He’d agreed to stop reminding them that this is the end, but it’s so easy to slip up.

“Because I love you,” he breathes. Then he leans in to kiss Prompto again, while he still can.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to [Crazyloststar](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Crazyloststar) and [moonwaif](https://archiveofourown.org/users/moonwaif) for the (literally) last minute feedback and edits! (How did I get so lucky to have all these lovely, talented writer pals?) I wrote this TODAY in a sprint event for book club. The prompt was our boy's birthday, of course. And it's _still_ his birthday in my timezone. So . . . yay!
> 
> (The title is from [Son of a Gun (the Nirvana version)](https://youtu.be/tw4VCu6JKkY) which is on my [Promptis playlist](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL1cyoyzRe2uBypsvWG7c6guhULT_UwpvK) along with [ this Atoms for Peace song](https://youtu.be/ZWrUEsVrdSU), which is actually way more fitting for this fic. I tried, I just couldn't find a good title in there.)


End file.
